1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an information distribution system, a terminal apparatus used in the same system and a recording medium on which is recorded a program, as well as to an information processing method, and in particular to an information distribution system including an information distribution apparatus which distributes contents information via a network, a plurality of terminal apparatus which are logically connected, multilayered in a hierarchical structure on the network, with the information distribution apparatus as an apex, and a connection management apparatus which manages information on the hierarchical structure, wherein the contents information distributed from the information distribution apparatus is sequentially relayed to a lower layer terminal apparatus by means of a relaying function of the terminal apparatus, to a terminal apparatus used in the same system and a recording medium on which is recorded a program, as well as to an information processing method.
2. Description of the Related Art
In recent years, along with a spread of broadband, an information distribution service which distributes contents information has become popular. For example, as well as a service which distributes contents information in response to a request from a user, in the style of a VOD (Video On Demand), a service is known which distributes contents information in a broadcast format, in the style of an internet broadcast.
With this kind of information distribution service, a distribution aspect according to a client-server method has been predominant, but recently, as a new distribution aspect replacing this method, a distribution aspect of a tree-type topology format, which is a P2P (Person To Person) type of distribution aspect, has attracted attention.
The tree-type topology format is a distribution aspect in which a plurality of terminal apparatus are logically connected, multilayered in a tree-shaped hierarchical structure, with an information distribution apparatus which distributes contents information via a network such as the internet as an apex, and the contents information distributed from the information distribution apparatus is sequentially relayed to a lower layer terminal apparatus by means of a relaying function of the terminal apparatus (for example, refer to Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2006-33514).
In the distribution aspect of the tree-type topology format, when a terminal apparatus newly participates in (connects to) the tree-shaped hierarchical structure, it makes an inquiry to the connection management apparatus which manages the hierarchical structure, and is informed of a connection destination terminal apparatus (hereafter, also called a “connection destination candidate”). The connection management apparatus, when receiving an inquiry from a terminal apparatus which is attempting to newly participate in the hierarchical structure in this way, decides on a connection destination candidate of which to notify the terminal apparatus which is attempting to newly participate, taking into consideration a condition of the tree-shaped hierarchical structure (for example, an overall balance of the hierarchical structure and a condition of each terminal apparatus).